Muldrotha, the Gravetide: Second-hand Store

So, this is my first attempt at a Muldrotha brawl deck. It's actually pretty challenging to balance threats and resources in the deck due to the yard mechanics. I really like the interaction of Journey to Eternity with Muldrotha as a means of self defense. Dead Man's Chest also seems pretty insane with things like Vraska available. As a side effect of the deck's heavy mill, Approach should be a non-factor most games, especially with things like Fleet Swallower and Ipnu Rivulet with recurring deserts (also can lock someone down with a recurring Hope of Ghirapur). Being able to continually recur things like Nezahal should make closing out pretty straight forward. The Eldest Reborn and In Bolas's Clutches seem really good to continually recur as well.

Heavy grave hate will definitely be a problem, but it's not something you can't play around.

I opted for mill over draw with a focus on early game mana sources. That Rhonas spell that mills 5 and digs for an enchantment and a creature was in the original list, but got cut.

Siren Stormtamer: It was in my original list, but the deck is somewhat blue-light on the low curve and keeping mana open for it is likely to be a pain early and mid game. The nice thing is that it can also block fliers though when it isn't needed. I opted for demonic vigor and journey to eternity instead (even contemplating curator's ward). There's only a few cards Siren protects from over those and that's mostly contempt and cast out.

Banewhip Punisher: was in the original list, got cut for Noxious Gearhulk because it's more useful late game and better at stabilizing. Chupacabra is already fighting it in the 4 slot, though I should probably switch back since she sacs herself.

Arguel's Bloodfast: Let's face it, if this card flips... you're already dead really or will be. Looking at it from the standpoint of a pure greed effect... it's "okay". I'd prefer Search for Azcanta over it if I was freeing the slot I think.

I probably should snag another sac outlet overall though, maybe Yehenni or salvager.

I was thinking Razaketh, the Foulblooded would be instead of some of the more expensive drops. Seems to be strictly more synergistic than Carnage Tyrant, Nezahal, Primal Tide, Ghalta, Primal Hunger.

If you need cards to cut,
Demonic Vigor - i don't think you care about creatures returning to hand rather than graveyard?
Deadeye Tracker - always the danger somebody uses this card against you.

Underhanded Designs does sound pretty good with those artifacts, maybe I'll replace a mana dork or two.

I do like Nezahal and tyrant because they help close games against control decks. Recurring tyrant is a nightmare for any control deck. Ghalta is more of a beater, but getting cast from the yard for a couple mana as a 12/12 sounded pretty fun. Ghalta would probably be on the chopping block though for Razaketh. I'll experiment with it.

Demonic Vigor is more for defending Muldrotha, as I can recast it each time on her after casting her for 6. As far as Deadeye, there's always a risk it can be used against me, but at the same time it can be card draw and is my only form of grave hate currently (which could be relevant). Of the two... vigor maybe, but defending Muldrotha is pretty big.

Picking cards to drop in this deck is like pulling teeth. I think I spent over an hour staring at the list to cut what I did. I like the swordtooth, I just wish I could play two lands directly from the yard (without map/amulet). If I put swordtooth back in, I'll probably make room to put Nissa, Vital Force back in too as a card draw engine. I dunno, I'll mess with the deck as is before I adjust it anymore. I just snagged a Scarab God on the cheap and I need to track down a Liliana, then I can really play the deck in our weekly pods and see what is under-performing.

I'm pretty keen to build a brawl Muldrotha deck. The better ones I've played against usually balance their graveyard strategy with also having counterspells. So they still have Negate and maybe Unwind in the deck. I really want to try The Mirari Conjecture, so I think I'm going to have a few more instants and sorceries and have a bit more control in opponents turns.

Yeah obstructionist was on my maybe board already. I hate that it only stifles on cycle, and the flash is largely irrelevant since even with Muldrotha you can only cast on your own turn. I keep wanting to run counter spells, but I definitely know my luck and know that I'll be milling them away with Liliana or some such every time. I feel the counter spells are better for a deck more tilted towards heavy card draw and less towards the mill plan. I kept wanting to run conjecture, but it just requires me to dilute my permanent pool more than I want to have any real value.

My complaints in regards to Scavenger Grounds are mostly that I'm tired of seeing it jammed into every deck I play against. Last pod I played in there were 2 of them on the board with extra deserts to feed. You can play around them only so much when they are omnipresent like they seem to be. That's the main problem I have is that a stifle here and there doesn't really solve the problem, as they usually feed other deserts to them, so it'll just happen the following turn. I basically need to have a field of ruin out all the time. I'm sad sorcerous spyglass got caught in the crossfire for its really strong walker hate, I was actually doing okay with it needling the Scavenger Grounds. It's not just a problem for my Muldrotha, but also my other decks running anything yard-related. It's not crippling, just seriously obnoxious.

This archetype is intriguing. If we're speaking 1v1, I feel like the deck needs to be able to play a strong early game and ignore synergies with Muldrotha.

Picking cards to drop in this deck is like pulling teeth

This is probably because you spent too much time evaluating synergies, while it's not what should determine if a card is worth it. I'm not into the deck yet, but what I notice with Brawl is that synergies work if you can pull them off early game (like Hapatra). Here we have to be proactive and survive VS aggro until we cast Muldrotha, who has to live for a turn before we can get full value. At least a deck like Ghalta is built as a turbo deck, ramping into the commander very quickly by playing good cards on their own.

Here, we either need to apply a strong ramp plan, or we want to play strong cards on their own, minus their synergy with Muldrotha. I don't know which plan is better, but either involves very different cards.

Siren Stormtamer has now saved me from Scavenger Grounds and I am now looking at it entirely differently. I may end up putting Final Parting in now just to find it. It acts as a rattlesnake vs the grounds, preventing their activating jsut by existing with one open blue.

This archetype is intriguing. If we're speaking 1v1, I feel like the deck needs to be able to play a strong early game and ignore synergies with Muldrotha.

It's not, this is being built for multiplayer. The energy stuff is ignored because you either run it all, or none of it. Frankly, none of the energy stuff really impresses me in multiplayer. Even with Aetherworks Marvel unbanned I just can't justify running it in multi.

Merfolk Branchwalker and Jadelight Ranger aren't BAD cards, but in a multiplayer environment I just can't justify putting them in where I can hope they hit value on top deck because they themselves are fairly underwhelming. Deadeye Tracker at least has the appeal of being repeatable and also grave-hate.